Anonymous wrote:Yes, of course only HS activities...OP is asking for a HS activity that was started at an earlier age, do you indicate that? Like they played a sport for 12 years and still play in HS. Do you say played for 12 years?

PPs recommended podcasts or websites - any specific recommendations?

No!!! You will look like a goofball. My kid included his HS sport and club sport (outside team) listed for 9-12 only— even though he’s played the sport since age 5.

Accepted to very competitive schools.

Anonymous wrote:Yes, of course only HS activities...OP is asking for a HS activity that was started at an earlier age, do you indicate that? Like they played a sport for 12 years and still play in HS. Do you say played for 12 years?

PPs recommended podcasts or websites - any specific recommendations?

Search works here:

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1190996.page
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1274028.page
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1252106.page

Books:
Who Gets In and Why
Soundbite
Valedictorians at the Gate
The Gatekeepers
Inside Stanford Admissions
The Exceptional Applicant
The Years That Matter Most

Podcasts:
Ingenius Prep; Yale; The Game; YCBK; Admittedly; The College Admissions Process.

Webinars: Crimson Education; CEG; Command Education; IvyWise

Yes, of course only HS activities...OP is asking for a HS activity that was started at an earlier age, do you indicate that? Like they played a sport for 12 years and still play in HS. Do you say played for 12 years?

PPs recommended podcasts or websites - any specific recommendations?

Out HS dies a mock admissions night with college counselors where we get actual applications- and, yeah, only HS activities were included.

It’s not that deep.

^*want to see

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We just used high school years.

Kid is at an Ivy. Accepted to 2 T10s and 5 T20s.

From all the research I did- they care about what you did in high school - even recommendations they wanted Junior year teachers- not 9 0r 10.

We were also discouraged from an essay that was focused only on a childhood event—if it at least didn’t include the present- etc

This all seems like common sense. After just looking through the Common App for the first time with my kid yesterday, I feel like people make this way more complicated than it needs to be. And I can’t believe people pay consultants thousands of dollars to figure out how to fill this stuff out.

Yep. I’m the pp you are quoting. We did not hire a private counselor. I did a ton of research myself- but, yes, the activities are straight forward. Why else do they only give the options as 9, 10, 11 or 12?

They don’t care if your kid was student body President in elementary school (which my kid was)- sure as hell wasn’t listing that. My kid also played a sport K-12–and they can glean from the level listed at 9-12 that he likely played much longer than that.

Again, they can’t to see how you balance school/academics and outside activities. It’s not a life long - when I was 5…..

Anonymous wrote:We just used high school years.

Kid is at an Ivy. Accepted to 2 T10s and 5 T20s.

From all the research I did- they care about what you did in high school - even recommendations they wanted Junior year teachers- not 9 0r 10.

We were also discouraged from an essay that was focused only on a childhood event—if it at least didn’t include the present- etc

This all seems like common sense. After just looking through the Common App for the first time with my kid yesterday, I feel like people make this way more complicated than it needs to be. And I can’t believe people pay consultants thousands of dollars to figure out how to fill this stuff out.

We just used high school years.

Kid is at an Ivy. Accepted to 2 T10s and 5 T20s.

From all the research I did- they care about what you did in high school - even recommendations they wanted Junior year teachers- not 9 0r 10.

We were also discouraged from an essay that was focused only on a childhood event—if it at least didn’t include the present- etc

There are really good old posts - search.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nothing before high school counts.

You have 10 slots to use however you want. If being a video editor is important and you want to highlight it, give it its own entry.

My son played classical piano from 7-18. I listed everything

There's the problem right there.

Google on how to to best fill it out- there are lots of articles and podcasts that give great info on this subject.

We absolutely listed years of involvement in our sections. Something you’ve done for a long time shows commitment.

E.g. Varsity Soccer Player. Played on high school team for 3 years and club team 7 years. Awarded captain and most valuable player of high school team.

Anonymous wrote:Nothing before high school counts.

You have 10 slots to use however you want. If being a video editor is important and you want to highlight it, give it its own entry.

My son played classical piano from 7-18. I listed everything

Nothing before high school counts.

You have 10 slots to use however you want. If being a video editor is important and you want to highlight it, give it its own entry.

Common App activity list:

Where to say you've been in the activity for many years? Let's say it's 10 years - can you put in Position section? like.... "Soccer Player, 10 years"
Or do you put it in the description?

How about if you participated in an activity for many years and now you have a paid job at that activity as well as continuing the activity? do you select "work" or not?
like....Soccer Player, 10 years. Paid video editor 2 years.
Would you separate these into 2 separate acitivities?
If kept as one, how would you do it?